Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) and Siemens Communications Group have ironed out more details of their carrier infrastructure joint venture, Nokia Siemens Networks, naming the heads of its business and regional divisions. (See Nokia Siemens Reveals Execs.)

The new company will combine Nokia's Networks Business Group with the carrier-related operations of Siemens Communications. (See Nokia, Siemens Create Networks Giant.)

The JV's top team has already been announced, with Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo and Simon Beresford-Wylie, both from Nokia, appointed as chairman and CEO, respectively. (See Nokia Execs Dominate JV's Top Table.)

While Nokia had first dibs on the management roles, the business units will largely be headed up by Siemens folk who will stay in Germany.

Stephan Scholz, currently senior VP and head of Carrier Development at Siemens Communications, will lead the Research, Technology, and Platforms division. Jose Costa e Silva, currently SVP and head of Europe and Americas at Mobile Networks, will lead the Services business unit.

Christian Unterberger will head the Service Core and Applications business unit; Martin Lust will take the Broadband Access unit; and Bernd Schumacher, the IP Networking and Transport business.

In Finland, Ari Lehtoranta, currently senior VP and general manager of the Radio business at Nokia will take on that role at the JV, while Christian Fredrikson, currently general manager of Nokia's Core Networks business will lead the OSS business unit. John "Stumpy" Pepys will play drums.

All of the business unit heads will report to COO Mika Vehvilainen, except Costa e Silva, who will report to CMO Karl-Christoph Caselitz. Castelitz will also oversee the joint venture's regional divisions.

Nokia's senior VPs for North America, Latin America, Asia/Pacific, and China will take on those roles at Nokia Siemens, while the senior VPs for Western and Southern Europe, Northern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa regions come from Siemens.

"We are making excellent progress in planning for the start of operations at Nokia Siemens Networks," Beresford-Wylie said in a prepared statement. "We have drawn from the best people at both Nokia and Siemens to create a strong, customer-focused leadership team." The company is expected to launch on January 1, 2007.

— Nicole Willing, Reporter, Light Reading